How best to notate pp entry of celesta during dying resonance of tam-tam

[David Ward]

As the resonance of a coup formidable on a very large tam-tam slowly dies away the audience will become aware of a repeated quasi-tremolo figure pp on celesta.

Any suggestions for the clearest and simplest way to notate this would be welcome.

Obviously the celesta player would feel a fool if tinkling away from the moment of the coup formidable itself, but I don't want the audience to be certain of at exactly which point they begin to hear the celesta, so the celesta must start while still not quite audible (at least to the audience).

[Alexander Ploetz]

If you put in a short note describing the desired effect then I see no reason why the celestist (?) should feel like a fool. On the contrary, once it is clear why you let the celesta start in that way, the passage will probably even be played extra carefully.

Alex

[OCTO]

I think the best notation is the technical one. Just write it as a computer should perform by the given instruction and the musicians will do similarly.

[MJCube]

“Enter inaudibly under tam-tam” with dynamics would make it clear to me.

[David Ward]

Thank you all for your comments. I think you are all saying the same thing, if in slightly different words, so I shall take your advice.

[David Ward]

Up-date. This is how I've done it in the score (the celesta is on the two lowest staves shown in the screenshot).

This is a draft of work-in-progress, not definitive.

[OCTO]

My two €: I think when the Tam Tam hits the last strong beat, at the same time should the celesta enter with ppp, and that's it. An extra text is not needed at all, since the instrumentation does it automatically.

[David Ward]

Thank you OCTO, I think you may be right, I'll give it more thought. At the very least I need to make much shorter any text direction (should I continue to have one) to something like: “Becoming audible as tam-tam resonance fades.”